by Jen Talty
But never in a million years had he thought this would be how the day would turn out.
“Whenever he would ask about his father, she would tell him that you were an important man and it had been difficult for her, with some of the problems she had—”
“What problems?”
“That I’m not going to tell you,” Katie said. “But she always told Jimmy that you didn’t know about him and if you did, you wouldn’t stay away.”
“At least that’s the truth.” He blew out a puff of air.
“She’s headed this way,” Paget said. “Why don’t I go start loading up the horses in the rig. I have a feeling we’re going to want to—”
“Daddy,” Jimmy screamed as he took off running across the muddy ground.
JB’s heart dropped to his gut. He gripped the metal railing and flung his body over it, holding on tight before lowering himself to the ground. He turned just in time to catch Jimmy as he hurled himself into his arms.
“Mommy just told me you’re my daddy,” he said with a sob. “Did she tell you?”
“Right after you went and got your popcorn.” He squeezed his eyes shut, holding Jimmy tight to his chest. He loved his siblings. He’d lay down his life for his family. They were his world.
But this little boy just changed everything.
There were no words to express what filled his soul. He’d never experienced such a profound sense of pride and joy. He could never make up for not being there for his son for the last four years, but he could do his best to be a good father for the rest of his life.
A father.
Jimmy wiggled from his embrace. He took his chubby little fingers and cupped JB’s face. “Is it okay I’m your son?”
“It’s more than okay.” A single tear rolled down JB’s cheek. “I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my boy. I love you.” And he meant it. He lifted Jimmy into his arms and turned his back to the camera crews who were closing in. No way could he deal with them right now. He glanced over his shoulder. “Cheyenne. We need to get out of here, now.”
“I know.” She came running up behind him. “I didn’t think that through.”
“Nope. You didn’t.” He lifted Jimmy, handing him to Katie before helping Cheyenne scale the barrier between the corral and the stands.
Reporters shouted at them for a statement, but he continued to ignore them as he followed Cheyenne, Katie, who had Jimmy in her arms, and Paget into the barn and around the corner, where reporters weren’t allowed.
“For someone who didn’t want to make a spectacle out of this on a small scale at Whiskey Ranch, you certainly did so on a national scale.” JB went to take his Stetson off, but soon realized it wasn’t on his head.
Fuck. He’d left it sitting on the bench. And it was his favorite one.
“I didn’t think he’d go running off to you,” she whispered.
His phone buzzed in his back pocket. He pulled it out and stared at the screen.
JW.
Two seconds later five texts came over from his sister and two from JD.
“My phone is blowing up too,” Paget said, holding her cell up. “All from your family and a few from ranch hands.”
“We’ve still got those horses we have to transport back to Whiskey Ranch,” JB said.
“I can handle that, and I can deal with driving the truck back by myself.” Paget held out her hand and wiggled her fingers.
“And how am I going to get home?” JB asked.
“Private car service,” Paget said, pointing to the back entrance. “I can have one here in a half hour, and we can put it in Katie’s name. It can pull right back there. No one will know because they will be looking for you to exit over there.” She pointed to the main gates.
“And that is why Annette promoted you,” JB said.
“That is a good idea because no one knows who I am.” Katie handed Jimmy to JB, who snuggled his face into his neck. The excitement must have gotten to the little fella as he was half asleep. “I’ll drive to the ranch in my car and drop off all your stuff before heading home.”
“Home?” JB asked. “Aren’t you Jimmy’s nanny?”
“Today is my last day.” Katie patted the boy’s back. “I’m getting married next weekend. Besides, Cheyenne was hoping you’d want to get to know this awesome little man this summer, and my services wouldn’t be needed anyway. And he’ll be starting school in the fall.”
“Huh?” JB snapped his gaze toward Cheyenne. “Don’t tell me you plan on going back to Texas.”
“It’s our home,” Cheyenne said. “But that doesn’t change the fact he’s your son and you can see him anytime you want.”
JB shook his head. “That’s not acceptable.”
“It’s not your choice,” she said in a firm tone.
“We’ll see about that.”
JB sat under the big tree in front of his house and took a long swig of his beer. The last few hours had been surreal. Never had he fallen instantly in love with another human in his entire life. The closest he’d ever come to that had been with Cheyenne, but even with her, it had taken a little bit of time for him to allow his heart to let her completely in.
Of course, he’d never make that mistake again.
Especially with her, not now. Not with what she had planned, and he was going to put a stop to it, right now.
But with his son?
That was an entirely different situation.
The sound of a cap twisting off the top of a glass bottle cut through the Idaho summer night.
He glanced to his right. Georgia Moon sat between Luke’s legs, while he leaned against a different tree.
She rubbed her belly which had started to swell with the child growing inside. “That was quite the kiss you gave Cheyenne on national television. What changed between then and now? Because you’re acting like she’s enemy number one.”
“I was wondering the same thing,” JW said from his perch on the swing under the big apple tree. Kitty lay with her head in his lap as her stomach jumped and shifted. She was due in a week and couldn’t wait to not be pregnant anymore. “It was quite the moment to watch between the kiss, her breaking the world record, Jimmy running into your arms, and calling you daddy. Very touching. Brought tears to this old man’s eyes.”
“Can we stop reliving it, please?” JB waved his hand in the air as if it were a white flag.
“I’m with JB on that,” JD said as he strolled across the yard, his silhouette lined by the light of the moon and stars. “As sweet as it looked, it’s not quite how it’s playing out in the media right now.”
JB sat up a little taller. “What do you mean?”
“While all of you have been sitting out here, Annette and I were putting our son down and watching the news. Scott, her ex-husband, made a statement. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Fuck,” JB muttered. “What did he say?”
“Well, for starters, he confirmed he wasn’t Jimmy’s father and that paternity was the reason for their divorce. He then said she’d paid him to keep quiet,” JD said.
JB choked on his beer. “Cheyenne is a lot of things, but she did no such thing. He’s lying, though it makes him look like a bigger asshole.”
JD slumped to the ground next to JB, snagging a beverage from the cooler.
The Whiskey siblings, now siblings and spouses, had spent many evenings in front of any one of their homes discussing business or personal issues, and they’d all had their share at one point or another.
“Are you sure about that?” Kitty asked. “I know I’ve never even met this woman, but people will go to extraordinary lengths to protect their families, especially their children.” She patted her stomach. “I know I’d do anything for this little fella, and if that meant paying off someone to keep a secret that I thought was protecting my family, I’d probably do it.”
“But we all know that secrets come out in the end, and they only hurt those they were meant to protect,” Luke said. “And it really doesn’t ma
tter if she did or didn’t pay for his silence. What matters is what you do going forward.”
“Well, that’s obvious. I’m his father. I’m going to take care of him.” JB turned and stared at the house. Cheyenne had at least agreed to spend one night. After that, he had no idea what she planned on doing, and he didn’t care. She wasn’t taking Jimmy with her. “But of the few things we discussed in the awkward limo ride back to the ranch, it was why Scott kept quiet all these years.”
“And?” Luke asked. “What did she have to say about that?”
“He didn’t want to bring the drama to his front doorstep. He wanted her out of his life, and then he met someone new and he just wanted a clean break. Alerting the media about paternity would only bring a fresh dose of reporters to his home life.” JB gagged on the politically correct version.
“But Scott did take everything he invested in their marriage and relationship. He sold the house and her car from under her and he emptied their bank accounts. He tried to sue her for alimony. If anything, he was the one who used Jimmy’s paternity to make sure she didn’t get a dime from him and she let him because she wanted to be done with it as much as he did.”
“He’s a piece of work,” Kitty said.
“She cheated on him.” JB didn’t like defending the man, but her infidelity still remained a fact. “He was angry and hurt. I think we can all agree that even if what he did was shitty, it was still justified.”
“There something else that the media is speculating,” JD said.
“And what, pray tell, is that?” JW asked.
JB pinched the bridge of his nose. His family had been the center of more than one scandal. What was one more? “They’re wondering how many more love children I have out there?”
“Bingo,” JD said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a few scorned women come forward saying you impregnated them.”
“Well, DNA will take care of that,” Georgia Moon said. “Not to mention I would think the media would get really bored with the crazy women that came out of the woodwork. I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with reporters too much.”
“But we do,” JD said. “They’re already camped outside the entrance. It will affect our business if customers and clients have to deal with that each time they come and go. It’s not just JD they want a piece of. It’s Cheyenne. She didn’t just break a world record. She’s a woman who made it in a male-dominated rodeo after spending a few years on sabbatical. No easy feat. The fans want to hear from her, and unless she’s willing to give at least one interview, and with JB at her side, it’s going to be a problem for us.”
“I’ll talk to her and make her understand why we have to have a press conference.” JB blinked. Heat coursed through his veins. Did she think she’d come here and dangle a carrot in front of him and then snatch it away as if it were nothing?
Of course she did because it was exactly what she’d done five years ago.
“Not with that tone, you won’t, little brother,” JW said. “Why the hell are you so angry? You didn’t look pissed off when you had your tongue down her throat.”
“Don’t be crude,” Kitty said. “But JW has a point. If you ask her for a favor when you obviously have a stick that far up your ass, you’re not going to get the desired result.” Kitty had been a breath of fresh air when she’d come to Whiskey Ranch a couple of years ago. Born and raised in Baltimore, she’d never set foot on a ranch before, but she took to life at Whiskey Ranch, and everyone in the family valued her opinion.
Even when they didn’t want to hear it.
Like now.
“Just tell us what’s going on,” Georgia Moon. “We can’t help, unless we know.”
“She’s only in Idaho for the summer. She plans on going back to Texas in August, when school starts.” JB adjusted his hat, lowering it over his face.
“Oh,” Georgia Moon said. “That’s harsh.”
“I’m not going to let her. I will hire a lawyer and fight her if I have to. She kept Jimmy from me for four years. I won’t let her do it again.” The more he thought about it, the hotter his blood ran. He’d done a few shitty things in his day, but he’d never keep a child from his parent.
“Have you had a real conversation with her about it?” Luke asked.
“Sure. She informed me she was going back to Texas, and I told her over my dead body.” JB chugged his beer.
“I wouldn’t call that a rational discussion.” Luke chuckled. “Look. She’s scared. She’s been thinking about what this meeting would be like for years, and trust me. I know how that goes.” He leaned over and kissed Georgia Moon’s temple. “She had no idea how you’d react to being a dad, much less if you’d want to be one full time. She still doesn’t.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” JB asked, glaring at his brother-in-law.
“Simply put, you’ve don’t have a clue.” Luke’s expression turned serious. “I’m scared shitless I’m going to be a horrible father. Worse. I’ll probably drop my kid on its head.”
“I dropped Tony yesterday. He slipped right out of my hands when I got him from the tub,” JD said holding up his hands and shaking them. “Of course, he’s two and a half and practically landed on his feet. But it happens. And jumping into parenthood later in a kid’s life, even if it’s only a few years, can be challenging all by itself. Point is, navigating parenthood is something you have to take one day at a time and you’re going to make mistakes and some of them are going to be bigger than others.”
“So, you’re all going to sit here and defend Cheyenne for what she did to me? To Jimmy?” JB tossed his empty in the cooler and jumped to his feet. It was close to eleven in the evening. He was dead dog-tired, and it was going to be a long night with Cheyenne sleeping in the room next to him with all his conflicting thoughts.
“We’re not defending anything.” Kitty took the hand her husband offered. “But before you go off half-cocked, give it a couple of weeks. Spend time getting to know your son, and get reacquainted with Cheyenne. Show her how much being with Jimmy means to you. Maybe the two of you can come to an agreement that will be what is best for Jimmy because at the end of the day, he’s the only one that matters in this picture.”
“You’re right.” JB strolled to the porch and set the cooler down. “I’ll let the dust settle before I go and lawyer up, but don’t you think I should get a paternity test?”
“Yes,” JW said quickly. “But we need to handle that quietly. And we’re going to need to deal with those reporters first thing in the morning, which means, you and Cheyenne are going to have to appear together. It’s the only way.”
“I’ll put my big boy pants on and deal with it.” JB tipped his hat as his family dispersed toward their respective homes. There was no place on earth like Whiskey Ranch and nothing better than having his siblings a stone’s throw away. There are some that might think it was weird how the Whiskey family wanted to stay in close proximity to one another. But it gave each them of them a sense of comfort and created a unique atmosphere on the ranch like no other.
It’s what made Whiskey Ranch one of the most sought-after places to work and train in all of North America.
He pulled open the front door and made his way to the kitchen where he found Cheyenne sitting at the table with a glass of wine, a plate of cheese and crackers—her favorite—and a tablet. She glanced up at him with tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She swiped at her eyes. “It’s Scott.”
“Oh. I already know.” He sat down beside her and took her by the hand. “Don’t worry about him. Or what he did. It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, we’ll figure out what to say to the press, and then I’m going to focus on Jimmy. I’ve already spoken to my family. They will cover most of my responsibilities on the ranch. I can spend almost every waking moment with him.”
She nodded. “I do want you to know your son. I really do. But you can’t ask us to give up our home. It’s not fair. I wouldn’t a
nd won’t ever ask you to give up your family or Whiskey Ranch.”
He took in a long breath and let it out slowly. “One thing at a time, okay?” This was going to be one hell of a summer in more ways than one.
2
Cheyenne blinked her eyes open. The sun barely peeked out over the horizon. She rolled to her side. Jimmy lay in the bed, curled up in a tiny ball with his cute little hands tucked up under his cheek. She glanced at the digital clock flashing the time in bold red lights.
Five thirty in the morning.
She suspected that JB was already up and potentially out the door. While he had a reputation for being a player, that didn’t change the fact he was one the hardest workers she’d ever met. He loved his ranch more than anything.
And that had been a problem.
From the very first kiss she’d shared with JB, she knew the ranch and his family would always come first in his life. No woman would ever come between him and his land or his flesh and blood.
Well, now he had Jimmy, and she was still just collateral damage.
She pulled back the covers and stretched.
Tap. Tap.
“Cheyenne,” JB whispered.
The doorknob turned and JB peeked inside.
“What the heck?” Quickly, she slipped from the bed, wearing only a T-shirt that didn’t even come to the top of her panties. Snagging her robe, she covered her body. She pressed her finger to her lips.
But JB strolled right past her, making his way around the bed. He reached out and pressed the backside of his hand against Jimmy’s cheek before bending over and kissing his forehead. He stood over their son and just stared for a long moment.
She understood the need. When Jimmy had been born, she would often watch him sleep for hours. Or she’d place her hand on his little chest so she could feel him breathe. His first few hours of life had been a bit of a struggle, leading to a kidney infection that plagued his first couple of months.